The present invention relates to a device for use in guiding wires as they pass through desks or similar furniture. In particular, the present invention relates to devices with which an aperture in a desk can be selectively opened and closed.
Assemblies for guiding the passage of wires through a planar surface are old in the art. For example, a patent to Timmons, U.S. Pat. No. 3,783,175 shows a two piece assembly with which an aperture in a desk is partially closed. A patent to Latino et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,344,205, shows a one piece cable pushing with a lid.
The purpose of such devices is to protect the cable as it passes through the opening in the furniture, and to prevent damage to the furniture at the edge of the aperture.
An object of the present invention is to provide a wiring guide having a lid which is relatively inconspicuous in both its open and closed positions.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a wiring guide having a low and smooth profile.
These and other objects of the present invention are achieved with a wiring grommet made of a cylindrical body with a small flange at one end, and a lid member which fits within the cylindrical body and which has a retractable portion capable of moving from a closed horizontal position to an open vertical position. In the open vertical position, the retractable portion of the cover extends within the cylindrical body such that it is relatively inconspicuous. Similarly, in the closed horizontal position, the retractable portion of the cover blends smoothly with the non-retractable portion of the cover such that the entire wiring grommet is relatively inconspicuous.
The above and other features of the invention will be better understood upon a reading of the following specification read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.